How to affix a loose trio of zoas?

[~reefchik~]

I have a clump of 3 Red Hornets that came unglued from the rest of the colony. I'd like not to send it back into shock by taking it out and supergluing it, but do I really have a choice? Is there some way to get them to attach themselves underwater?

[ghurlag]

I'm not sure how long it takes a zoa to develop enough tissue to securely grip a surface, but I think superglue is your best bet, unfortunately

[TechGuy40]

They won't go into shock. They can spend hours out of the water. Zoanthids are pretty tough. Smash them into a hole somewhere so they don't fall out.

[jeremyreef]

yep, glue them...red hornets? do you have a pic of the colony?

[~reefchik~]

They won't go into shock. They can spend hours out of the water. Zoanthids are pretty tough. Smash them into a hole somewhere so they don't fall out. Really?? All the ones I got on March 17 have stayed closed up except this trio. I don't know what they are waiting for.

[TechGuy40]

Really?? All the ones I got on March 17 have stayed closed up except this trio. I don't know what they are waiting for.

See any Nudis? I believe a photo was posted in another thread. They will be the same color as the zoas, and they blend in perfectly because of there body shape.

[~reefchik~]

yep, glue them...red hornets? do you have a pic of the colony? Nope...unless you count this link:
http://www.zoanthids.com/popup_image.php?pID=176
I also got Ultimate Rainbows and Flaming Fire Frogs. The FFF have disappeared in the skirmish to catch my Klein's butterfly a week or so ago :-(

[ghurlag]

Steph, at this point, I would definitely start considering the possibility of an infestation of some sort. There is another thread that someone posted up today about an issue their zoas were having (same symptoms), and they found some ickies!

I'll try to find it and post a link here.

[ghurlag]

Found it!

http://www.saltgeeks.com/forums/showthread.php?1079-Zoa-Eater-ID-please.#post1271011905

[jeremyreef]

Nope...unless you count this link:
http://www.zoanthids.com/popup_image.php?pID=176

nice zoas!

are they in too much light? some zoas will not open if the light is too much for them. any pests or algae growing on them? dip them in revive/saltwater mix and swish them around in it for a few minutes, see if anything falls off.

[~reefchik~]

There can't be any nudis because the zoas have remained closed since the day they arrived. And they are in bare spots on new rock.

Maybe there IS too much light. I get varying advice on that. Some say they love high light, some say low light. I guess you really need to know where the zoas came from if they are wild collected or what lighting they were raised under if captive. That info I do not have unfortunately.

I'll go back to Zoanthids.com and use their contact link and see if I can get some info/advice from them at this point.

[jeremyreef]

i would start with moving them down. purple hornets hate my t5s, i have to put them in a shaded area. they might be similar.

[~reefchik~]

The trio I've got in the shot glass (that opened) is on a frag stand in the corner, but away from really direct light. Another colony has been on the floor of the tank towards the middle - lowest PAR in the tank. I moved the Ultimate Rainbows up to the frag stand a couple days ago to see if it helps. They are so tiny. It's a colony of maybe 6 - 7 polyps but they are really tiny. Those are the ones that seem to be shrinking away to nothing. I don't know what else to do with them :-(

I did send an email just a minute ago to zoanthids.com. I'll let you know what they say.

[jeremyreef]

also watch them at night, you might see something crawling around. i have had pretty big amphipods living around zoas stressing them, causing them not to open. revive will knock them off too.

[~reefchik~]

Well, there's a possibility. I have a fuge FULL of amphipods and copepods. I rarely see anything up in the DT, assuming they are whirled to death in the trip through two pumps - or, someone eats them as soon as they make it through. But I'll go check now, lights have been off 2 hrs.

[~reefchik~]

Here's the email I got from zoanthids.com today:


Thanks for your inquiry. This is not common at all. Yes every once in a while you will get a zoanthid or palythoa that will take a couple weeks to open, but in my case it has been rare. I currently use 250w HQI MH and T5's on my tanks. I would imagine the pH is the underlying issue especially if they are just closed and haven't melted away. Keep me posted on them and if they never end up opening up, we'll work something out for you. If you have any additional questions please let me know.

[~reefchik~]

And on a brighter note...finally another one is opening up! And the trio (which is really 4, it turned out) are doing ok smushed into some of my new live rock (got some really branchy stuff a few weeks ago, just for this reason to hold new frags).

[coral ranch]

If your zoanthids still refuse to open I would try a furozone and formalin dip. Sometimes zoanthids get bacterial and protozoan infections and refuse to open.we have had great luck with this treatment.

[Jshroom86]

if you ever get zoapox (white dots on them) Furan-2 and saltwater mix work fantastic.

[cyanight]

I had the opposite experience. I dipped them 3x a week for 20 mins and then let them rest for a week and then continued the treatment again. All my Zoa corals are dead now. :(

[cyanight]

All of my zoanthids are gone now. I had pallys and lots of bright colors, orange, blue, green, red, gray etc... I know my tank runs hotter than most but I really can't afford to run a chiller. My electric bill is 300 a month. Besides my zoas were great for years before I got this pox and the pox came during the winter months when my tank drops to 78-79. So actually the cooler temp in my experience seems to support the pox. I am not buying anymore Zoanthids. I have better luck with SPS than a coral I watch grow for years only to disappear in weeks.

[~reefchik~]

The Flaming Fire Frogs have resurfaced! I was hoping they would, and they are beginning to open. They were buried in the sand when I had my tank avalanche a couple weeks ago and then this morning, there they were, peeking out of the sand. The Red Hornets have all opened.

The only duds are the Ultimate Rainbows, and I truly don't believe they're going to make it. Where the others just remained closed (it took a month, to the day, btw) these shrunk and continue to do so. Zoanthids.com has said they'll work with me, so I'm going to ask them to replace them, especially seeing's how the others have finally decided to come out and play.

[~reefchik~]

All of my zoanthids are gone now. I had pallys and lots of bright colors, orange, blue, green, red, gray etc... I know my tank runs hotter than most but I really can't afford to run a chiller. My electric bill is 300 a month. Besides my zoas were great for years before I got this pox and the pox came during the winter months when my tank drops to 78-79. So actually the cooler temp in my experience seems to support the pox. I am not buying anymore Zoanthids. I have better luck with SPS than a coral I watch grow for years only to disappear in weeks. Wow....I just read this. I missed it the other day when I got so excited about my zoas opening, finally!

I'm sorry to hear about your zoas dying. I hope mine never get that stinkin' pox. What temps do your tank reach, anyway?

It's weird how some corals do great for us while others don't. My new zoas gave me fits, while my pocillaporas, birdsnest and scrolling monti do fantastic. I killed an ORA Green Acro frag - why? Just one of those reef mysteries, I guess.

[TechGuy40]

Wow....I just read this. I missed it the other day when I got so excited about my zoas opening, finally!

I'm sorry to hear about your zoas dying. I hope mine never get that stinkin' pox. What temps do your tank reach, anyway?

It's weird how some corals do great for us while others don't. My new zoas gave me fits, while my pocillaporas, birdsnest and scrolling monti do fantastic. I killed an ORA Green Acro frag - why? Just one of those reef mysteries, I guess.

Weird isn't it. I couldn't keep Zoa's in my 120 for some reason. They would just shrink and die. But they love the 75, even with the same lights.

As far as the ORA frag goes, lighting would be my guess.